Turning to online teaching
Make online teaching work for you
With the current global crisis, many of our candidates have been isolated from their work families and students. To ensure education does not have to stop at a time when the world around us has, many have turned their skills to online teaching to ensure their students can continue to receive their education.
Providing online classes can seem quite daunting, especially when you are an experienced classroom teacher but rest assured there are many benefits….
First and foremost right now it allows us all to follow the guidelines and/or laws in place in many countries – online teaching adheres to the self-isolation responsibilities we all have as individuals and removes any exposure and risk we place upon one another.
In addition, it is sustainable, removes transport costs, travel time, and reduces the number of printed materials produced. It gives flexibility with schedules and most importantly makes learning accessible to all (who has an internet/telephone connection).
So, if you’re faced with a new remote class and you are not sure how to approach it, follow these seven tips and you’ll soon be an online teaching pro.
- Understand your students and do your groundwork
Offer an introductory class – Groundwork is needed to get your relationship off to a good start with your new students. Find out what interests they have, what topics they like talking about, the type of music they enjoy. All this is crucial for keeping them engaged and focused. Use these topics and interests to help them learn within your classes.
Speak with your students and their parents to understand what type of learner they are, are they happy working through worksheets, textbooks or do they prefer more interactive learning. Understand the work they have already covered, the curriculum they are currently study, their learning goals, the books they have been learning from. This is a new experience for them to so take this into consideration.
Taking these steps and gaining this knowledge before any lessons will put you on the right track for a great student teacher relationship.
- Find the right technology
If you want to become a great online teacher, you will need to find a reliable online platform or learning management system to help you communicate with your students.
You need to understand what platform your students are familiar with and become familiar yourself with those you choose to use to offer them the best possible learning environment.
The good news is that there are lots of free options available for you to consider. Google Hangouts, Zoom, Skype, Facetime, Whatsapp.
- Plan
The groundwork has been done and you understand your student. Every great teacher makes a lesson plan so don’t make teaching online any different.
You can never be too prepared for classes, so build up a good amount of resources to use as a backup, if something doesn’t work, you’ll always have something else to fall back on. The first few classes are a learning curve for both student and teacher, so don’t panic if it doesn’t go to plan to start off with. As long as the student is learning and engaged, you’re doing a good job.
- Set expectations for student behaviour
Students may not be used to doing classes online and might see it as an opportunity to relax (a little too much). It is therefore essential you discuss what’s expected of them and what they can expect from you during the online sessions.
Talk to them about the types of activities they can expect to take part in, how often you’ll be assigning homework and how they’ll be assessed. It’s also a good idea to discuss the advantages of distance learning and address any doubts they might have, especially when it comes to technology.
- Materials/resources
Once you’ve done your groundwork on each student it is time for you to start collecting material that suits your students’ needs to create a course for them.
You can never be too prepared for classes, so build up a good amount of resources to use as a backup, if something doesn’t work, you’ll always have something else to fall back on. The first few classes are a learning curve for both student and teacher.
Always finish each class with something fun, a song, some silly jokes, a game or competitions, leaving a positive experience and keeping your students excited for their next class.
Our team at Duke & Duchess International have all worked in the field of childcare and education. We have an extensive list of resources available for you.
Please do not hesitate to contact the team if you need our assistance. We will be glad to help.
